“Surely there is a sign in this, but most of them would not believe. Verily your Lord is Immensely Mighty, Ever Compassionate.” (Al Qur’ān – 26:67-68)
The word ‘sign’ refers to the miracle with which Allah helped Prophet Moses and his companions pass through the sea and at the same time drown the whole of Pharaoh’s army. The lesson for the Quraish in this respect is that people who are stubborn and take no lesson even from miracles ultimately meet a woeful end. Pharaoh, his nobles and thousands of his people saw God’s signs for years but ignored them and acted as though they were blindfolded.
Even in the very last moments before their annihilation, they could not discern the significance of the splitting of the sea and water standing on both sides of the dry path in the form of two huge cliffs. Even these clear signs did not fully convince them that Moses enjoyed God’s support and that by opposing him they were up against the power of God Himself.
It was only when water had inundated them and when they were fully surrounded by God’s Wrath that Pharaoh cried out: “I believe that there is no god but Allah in Whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am also one of those who submit to Allah” (Surah Yunus 10:90).
There is also a lesson in this narrative for the believers: no matter how powerful the forces of iniquity might appear to be, ultimately it is the Truth which triumphs with God’s help, and falsehood eventually vanishes.